Streets as Places

Developing Educational Tools

To be successful with transportation reform, PPS is also developing training programs, guidance materials and presentations. PPS will deploy these supporting tools and resources through education and outreach activities. Educational activities are intended to build capacity within state, city and county DOTs so they learn how to address transportation in new ways. Outreach and speaking engagement opportunities are helping to inspire and focus attention on the need for transportation reform; build a market for place-based solutions within client communities; and create awareness and capacity within government and community organizations to plan for better outcomes.

Tools and training materials are vitally needed to support reform activities. Gary Toth, Director of PPS Transportation Initiatives, has written a Citizen's Guide to Engaging DOTs for Successful Outcomes, to be co-published soon with AARP. PPS has also completed a Corridors for Livable Communities booklet in conjunction with Scenic America, also to be published soon with AARP.

We recently completed our second “Streets as Places” training workshop, in New York City in March. The program was sold out within three weeks, and since its announcement, we have received requests to bring this training session on the road to places as diverse as Maine, Colorado, Saskatchewan, Bellevue (WA), and Jeddah (Saudi Arabia).

Gary Toth’s “Back to Basics in Transportation Planning: How Rediscovering our Roots can Solve 21st Century Traffic Woes” was featured in the PPS Bulletin in October 2007 and will be re-published in an upcoming edition of Transportation Quarterly, a publication of the ENO Transportation Foundation. An upcoming transportation newsletter will highlight great streets around the world and bold actions being taken to reclaim streets as places.